“was napoleon right for josephine? “is nausea right for ...andrew believes that “great wine...
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“Was Napoleon right for Josephine?“Is nausea right for Dramamine?“Were the 80′s right for the drum machine?“Who can say? Who can say?”- Uncle Fester, Adams Family, the Musical Just as one must carefully arrange the pieces on a chess board to maximize the potential of one’s position, so must a winery carefully match the correct grape, clone, trellising system, etc. to the vineyard and climatic conditions in order to maximize quality. �is understanding lies at the heart of everything Andrew Murray and his team do at Chessman Wines. It is up to every consumer to answer Uncle Fester’s eternal question. Have we done our work well? Please let us know what you think at [email protected].
�e VineyardsAndrew believes that “great wine starts at the root of the vine, at the very point where the eventual fruit derives its suste-nance. Vineyard selection is therefore of paramount importance in our winemaking process. We want grapes that had to work hard to make it to maturity and that are carefully harvested at just the optimal point in their maturation.”
�e Chessman Santa Barbara Chardonnay is derived about 50% each from the two adjacent vineyards on Curtis Ranch. �e vines are over 35 years old, and they share a similar terroir. �e soil is characterized by gravelly shale and sandy loam of the “Ballard Series”. �e soil is perfect for steady maturation of ripe yet balanced fruit.
�e Team “Andrew Murray Vineyards is one of the shining stars in the Santa Barbara �rmament. Extremely low yields…and a dedication to hillside vineyards, ripe fruit, and non-interventionalistic wine-making have combined to propel Andrew to the top echelon. Production is small,…but these wines are well-worth seeking out.” (8-27-99 and 2-28-02: Robert Parker for �e Wine Advocate)
�e WineHarvested in early October, Andrew barrel fermented the wine, then aged it for 11 months in 100% French Oak Barrels, 25% new. �e wine went through a full malolactic fermentation. Andrew bo�led the wine un�ned with only a very coarse “polish” �ltration “mostly to get the bugs out.” �e resulting wine o�ers a pale golden robe, brilliantly refracting the light. �e toasty nose shows vanilla, macada-mia nuts, ripe pear and quince elements. On the pallet this Chardonnay is absolutely luscious, o�er-ing brilliant acidity and a very long, vanilla-laden �nish. Total production: 650 cases.
• Vintage: 2013 • Vineyard: Curtis Ranch• Alcohol: 13.8% • Winemaker: Andrew Murray• Appellation:Santa Barbara County • UPC: 850892003371• Cultivar: 100% Chardonnay
Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2013